The railpass can be used for a cruise on the Rhine. We went to the tourist center in Bacharach, and they showed us the map with the cruise schedule. It worked out best to take a train up to Boppard, and then take the cruise back to Bacharach.
Boppard is about 5 times the size of Bacharach, there are many more shops and much more to do. We took a short walking tour around the town, starting in the Mainz Platz at the church and town hall. During the tour, we found out about a chairlift which takes people up to a ridgeline of mountains on the edge of town. From there, you can see how the Rhine makes a horseshoe loop, and also get a great view of the town.
We walked a couple miles to the chairlift, stopping for a pretzel (the best one of the trip!) along the way. We paid 6 Euros each for the chairlift. (We could have hiked it easily, but we were on a time crunch to get back for the cruise). The view was well worth the fee, and the ride was a nice break from walking.
After that, we hiked back to town and had lunch in the Mainz Platz. I had a delicious salad with field greens, asparagus, radish, eggs, baby shrimps, smoked salmon, red cabbage, escarole, and cheese. Wonderful flavors and a simple refreshing dressing. To go with the salad I had a white wine slightly sparkling and Dennis had a riesling with his Thai spiced spaghetti & chicken. Of course, we had some gelatto after lunch, while we waited for the cruise.
One can’t visit the Rhine area without going on a cruise! It is *the* thing to do. The boats churn down the river at a creeping pace, so you have lots of time for photos and to enjoy the wine. This countryside is famous for it’s wines (like the Bay Area in Cali), so it’s important to try them out when you’re there!
Dennis & I got a seat on the upper section of the boat, and he ordered two pitchers of wine. In the three hour cruise, we finished the wine and were happy we did as it was quite chilly when the sun got low on the horizon.
We passed so many castles, it’s hard to state them all. Everywhere you looked, there was a castle. The reason being that ships navigating the river had to pay a fee to each estate before they could pass…if they didn’t they risked being attacked. We also passed the Lorelei, a famous river sprite who is said to be the undoing of many ships at a particular corner of the Rhine.
During the cruise, there is a recorded narration of the castle and other historic sites. Unfortunately, the German rendition is very thorough, but the English one is brief, and sometimes it comes so late that you’ve already passed the site they were referring to! At least they make the attempt!
Later that night, we tried to get dinner in Bacharach. Several places were already closed for the night (it being a weeknight), and one place we tried to eat at was only serving folks who were guests of their hotel. We ended up going to the local pizza shop. We got a salad (huge) and also a pizza. It was wonderful, we ate it up at the castle on benches outside. We were excited to be leaving the small snooty town.